INTERACTIVE INPUT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110298722A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tse, Edward, Leung, Andy, Banerjee, Shymmon
• Application Number:
  US12/794,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

An interactive input system includes an interactive surface, at least one proximity sensor positioned in proximity with the interactive surface; and processing structure communicating with the sensor and processing sensor output from the at least one proximity sensor for detecting a user in proximity with the interactive surface. A method of providing input into an interactive input system having an interactive surface includes communicating sensor output from at least one proximity sensor positioned in proximity with the interactive surface to processing structure of the interactive input system; and processing the sensor output for detecting a user located in proximity with the interactive surface.

Claims

1. An interactive input system comprising:

an interactive surface;

at least one proximity sensor positioned in proximity with the interactive surface; and

processing structure communicating with the sensor and processing sensor output from the at least one proximity sensor for detecting a user in proximity with the interactive surface.

2. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing structure is configured to update display content for display on the display surface based on the sensor output.

3. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the processing structure is configured to update the display content for display on the display surface near a location of the user.

4. The interactive input system of claim 2, wherein the processing structure is configured to update the display content according to a viewing direction of the user.

5. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to operate in any of an interactive mode, a presentation mode, and a sleep mode.

6. The interactive input system of claim 5, wherein the interactive mode comprises a single user sub-mode and a multiple user sub-mode.

7. The interactive input system of claim 5, wherein the system enters at least one of the sleep mode and the presentation mode in absence of user detection for a period of time exceeding a threshold period of time.

8. The interactive input system of claim 6, wherein the system enters the interactive mode from the sleep mode or the presentation mode upon detection of a user for a period of time exceeding a threshold period of time.

9. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing structure is further configured for detecting a gesture based on the sensor output.

10. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing structure is further configured for detecting at least one of presence of the user within a detection range of the sensor and distance of the user from the sensor.

11. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing structure is further configured for processing the sensor output for determining a processing result.

12. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing structure is further configured to limit the number of simultaneous touches to be processed by the system based on the sensor output.

13. The interactive input system of claim 1, wherein the processing result is a response to a question displayed on the display surface.

14. A method of providing input into an interactive input system having an interactive surface, the method comprising:

communicating sensor output from at least one proximity sensor positioned in proximity with the interactive surface to processing structure of the interactive input system; and

processing the sensor output for detecting a user located in proximity with the interactive surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising updating display content displayed on the interactive surface based on the output.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising entering any of an interactive mode, a presentation mode, and a sleep mode, based on the sensor output.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interactive mode comprises a single user sub-mode and a multiple user sub-mode.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising processing the sensor output for detecting a gesture.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a processing result from the sensor output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the processing result is a response to a question displayed on the display surface.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising limiting the number of simultaneous touches to be processed by the system based on the sensor output.